


The Flesh of Flowers

by Bungie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Drama & Romance, F/M, Insanity, Original Character(s), Suspense, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 14:45:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14046561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bungie/pseuds/Bungie
Summary: Liliana knew who she was…until she was no longer who she thought. Secrets are revealed, betrayals uncovered, and now she’s on her own in order to seek something she has lost. Madness is never too far away, and while there are those who wish her free of it, there are those who want to fan the flames. In the midst of this, the past is closing in. In fact, it’s closer then she thinks. Fem!Harry, Manipulative Dumbledore





	The Flesh of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: If you haven’t figured out that I’m not J.K Rowling or the wonderful person who created HunterXHunter, then you’re an idiot. If I owned them I wouldn’t have time to waste living on fanfiction.net, writing up stories, because I would be too busy doing what millionaires do. Or whatever. Anyway, if it’s familiar, I don’t own it. Any new plots, twists, characters, and etc. are mine. Yay, I own something. 
> 
> Rated: M. definitely a mature story, with mature themes and probably mature content in the future. 
> 
> A/N: I’m well aware that there are somethings that are a bit out of order, but I figured it wasn’t such a big deal that I had to rewrite everything. I’ve had this little piece of decadence floating around in my head for a while now. I’m looking forward to the reactions I get. I wanted to bring something different to the table. This is something new, and I’ll try to not reveal my hand all at once. 
> 
> Pairing: well…it’ll be revealed in time. Though some of it will be a bit obvious.

Chapter One: SEEKER

 

 

_...She squeezed the heads off roses._ __  
The blood of hydrangeas oozing between her fingers.  
The flesh of flowers teased her,  
The desire to tear each perfect limb  
From its core,  
To rip the skin from stems,  
To pluck the birds from paradise,  
To still the breath of babies,  
To ravage the lilies of the valley.  
Oh how they bloomed at her touch!  
How the blossoms opened and the tones changed from plum dark to berry red   
like a woman's sex during climax.  
She blows at the yellow dust that floats  
in the air after the death of a  
Pink carnation.   
Better to enjoy the pleasure   
of life stolen in youth,  
Enjoy the vibrant colors  
that life brings, than  
To watch the grave creep into  
Botanical veins from root to open arms,  
Better that than watch age dry up beauty  
And form break away with time...

  
  
…The scratching sound of pen on paper was rhythmic as the last line was written. She closed the dark leather of her journal, the poem was still humming to the sound of the night which was loud and lonely in her ears as she continued to twirl the plucked bloom of a candytuft between her pinched fingers. The wood of a Bartek oak tree cut into her back, its thick limbs stretching high and disappearing into the darkness. Night birds were coming out to play, an owl flying overhead stirring up nostalgic thoughts that she quickly shook away.  
  
_'Don't think about it. I can't go back…I won't go back. Not now…_ '  
  
She slid her hand into her satchel, its cloth material easily mistaken as anything but durable, and pulled out a few strips of dried meat. She ate silently, the quiet disturbed only by the sounds of her guide as he came back from a hunt, a limp and lightly pink rabbit dangling by its tail from his clenched fist.   
  
He did nothing more than raise a brow at her as she sat in the dark, dropping his kill on a fallen log before making a fire.  
  
She considered warning him about the dangers she could already hear moving in the dense trees, of how creating an area of warmth and light in _this_ forest of all places probably wasn't the best idea. She ditched the thought though, considering that if he was an examiner for the hunter exams then he should already know. Instead she blinked at him and with a click in her throat leapt up into one of the thick branches, the limb moving gently before becoming still as she found a comfortable place where two of them joined.  
  
Her guide chuckled.   
  
"You sure are a prickly little thing, aren't ya?"  
  
She snorted in response.  
  
Smiling, the guide, his blue dyed curls looking humorously like wisps of clouds clinging to his head, stoked his fire, his freckles standing out clearly in the light.   
  
"I still can't figure out how you saw through my trap," his gaze was focused on her, though she wondered if he could actually see her, "how could you see through my illusions? Not only have I mastered this forest, know every creature by name and tree by sight, but my family has a long history of illusion magic. Only a few have ever seen through it and you're the first I've ever met who has."  
  
She contemplated not answering but figured he had been fair and honest so far, she could show some courtesy.  
  
"The old woman who directed me in this direction,” her mind flickering back to an image of the wrinkled face and warm eyes of a woman with greying hair pulled back tightly within a bun and whose transparent form was broken by the rather _un-transparent_ one beneath, “ was neither old or a woman. Their palms weren’t wrinkled enough to match their age and the flicker of an Adam’s apple, even as shallow as it was, was still visible. She had a pattern of twitching the left corner of her mouth when she lied, a sign that she doesn't lie often, or rather he doesn't lie often.”

 “Furthermore there was a faint scent of evergreen aftershave. It would normally disappear with the scents of the forest, but not only did you lead a trail here after I left, the heaviness of it still clung around you. You must have been in a rush this morning, there's a spot still clinging to the underside of your shirt around the neck. Next time, you should use a water based aftershave rather than oil, maybe even all natural. Those scents would have faded easier."

She glanced at him, feeling laughter stirring in her chest at his gaping face.  
  
"Besides," his jaw clicked shut and he rubbed the back of his head. She pulled at her hood to make sure the shadows still covered her face, "the thing about illusions is that they only really work if the castor's will is stronger than the one their casting on. I have always had a rather strong will."  
  
She watched as a question fluttered between his creased brows.  
  
"So…are you saying you saw through my Illusions from the moment you met me?"   
  
She decidedly did not deign that with a response and almost fell from the tree after he let out a loud laugh, one that seemed to rattle her own lungs. She took deep breaths to calm her heart.   
  
"Wow. Don't really know what to say to that. The names Akio. Yours?"  
  
She took a moment to consider that. What was her name? She no longer felt secure in who she was and when she left she was being pulled between two names, both of which…well, she had an aching desire to burn them and everything that came with them. She chewed on her tongue, her mind restless.   
  
In the end it really didn't matter, she'd be honest about who she was now. Maybe later a name will fall on right.   
  
"You can call me Seeker."  
  
"Seeker? Strange name."  
  
"It's not a name it's a label. I no longer have a name, so you can't call me by what I don't have. I am, however, a seeker. You can calm me that."  
  
"Oh. Well…what are you seeking?"  
  
"…whatever I want."  
  
"And what is it you want?"  
  
"You ask a lot of questions."  
  
"It's my job." He moved his rabbit from the fire, the scent of it warm in the air. "Honestly, I'm just amazed you answered. This is the first time you’ve really talked using more than three words at a time. I'm curious."  
  
It was quiet for a few minutes, a wolf barked further away and the fire popped, splinters of wooden embers floated in the air.   
  
"Well get some rest. We'll go to Taiyo's nest in the morning."  
  
"Taiyo?"  
  
"Taiyo is a Giant Melanian Eagle. He'll be big enough to fly us both to the exam site. I'll get you in there and from then on you're on your own."  
  
"Ah."  
  
She crossed her hands over her stomach and relaxed. Everything was going to be okay.  
   
They couldn't find her here.   
  
Here she was free.

 

<Flesh of Flowers>

Akio hadn’t been lying when he said that Taiyo would be able to carry them both easily. The Giant Melanian Eagle was the height of two Dumbledores’ and one Dobby if measured from claw to beak and his body was a double portion of Buckbeak’s muscles under all of those grey and brown feathers.

She shook her head. It wasn’t good to use those from her past as references for the present. Especially not Dumbledore.

Taiyo stood regally in front of them, his head unbending like royalty. She knew he was the alpha of the forest and he clearly knew it too. Akio motioned for her to come stand closer and led her through an introductive ritual which was not unlike the one Hagrid used for Buckbeak.

There she goes again thinking about the past. It was a bit of an irritation how easily her mind was drifting today.

After Taiyo bent his back in acceptance of her, Akio steered her towards the double saddle tied to the birds back. 

“Come on. We better get a move on. I’d hate for you to be late.” She nodded and hopped into the seat behind his. The bird’s large wings flapped a couple times before it leapt into the air. It dropped for a moment, its body cutting through the air before its wings pushed wind beneath them and they began moving higher.

It was exhilarating. She hadn’t flown in a rather long time. She gritted her teeth at the nostalgia that filled her stomach, it churned and burned all at the same time as she huffed, the air brushing the hair at the nape of Akio’s neck.

“Hey, you’re not afraid of heights are you?”

“No.” He chuckled, a sound that had become common in the short time she had known him, at her short answer and simply continued the course.

 _‘It must have been the dream…’_ She hadn’t had any dreams in a couple of months, to have one now did not bode well.

_…in her mind she could see the death chamber, the veil’s cloth like surface billowed like smoke as it moved by an unseen and unfelt wind. It was quiet, despite the various battles going on, as if the veil itself sucked all noise or life into it. She watched as Bellatrix flicked a sickening green spell at Sirius and her heart stopped. Everything froze for that moment._

_Only for a yell to break through the silence, sound fading back in like a radio being turned up, and she watched as Remus (remusREMUSuncleRemusProfessorRemus) jumped in front of the spell, his body, limp and lifeless like a marionette with the strings cut, spinning around on the spot and falling into the darkness of the archway._

_She had never heard such a heart wrenching sound as that of Tonks as she jumped the steps and had to be held back by others of the order from jumping in after the werewolf._

_Sirius was frozen. The taunting grin that had just been there was gone, replaced with a slack face and eyes filled with confusion, as if he couldn’t quite understand what had happened._

_She watched as tears began to fall, his head shaking with growing disbelief and a look of such bitter self-hatred appeared._

_She didn’t know exactly how she felt. Numb, maybe. Or maybe she was feeling so much she couldn’t focus on one to actually feel._

_She watched as Bellatrix’s twisted laugh snapped everyone from their immediate grief, her taunts pushing Tonks to the point of fighting to rip herself out of the grips of those holding her back, her hair changing colors so swiftly it looked like a light at one of those muggle clubs, a sure sign that she had lost control. Yet Tonks was still being held back._

_SHE wasn’t._

_A sound escaped her mouth, one she had never known she was capable of making. It was inhuman, guttural and animalistic, and all the emotions that had been numbed sorted themselves out and pooled in her belly, hot and burning, a sticky substance she couldn’t name as it seeped in her mouth like bitter honey. Her vision lengthened and focused on the wildly laughing psychopath, without thought her wand whipped out._

_“Crucio.” It would be a lie to say the sight of the woman slumping to the ground and arching off the floor, her screams echoing around the room, wasn’t satisfying. The bitter substance in her mouth was turning sweet, almost decadent._

_It was addictive._

_The thought was sharp and broke through the haze she had fallen into, causing the connection to the spell to break. Bellatrix stood and stumbled her way out of the chamber._

_She chased her and time seemed to speed up, the sights of various hallways and rooms flew by until time slowed again as she ran after the woman through the atrium of the ministry of magic._

_“Lilianna…”_

_She knew that voice, memorized it since she heard it’s hissing across a room with a mirror of desire and surrounded by fire back in first year._

_“LILIANNA…” The voice was louder now, practically on the verge of screaming and the sibilant sounds made the notes high pitched. She screamed and gripped her head, Voldemort’s tongue rolling her own name within her head._

_She didn’t know where he was, but the connection that had been assaulted throughout the year was practically vibrating within her. She could feel it stretching, as if trying to accommodate something that didn’t belong. She screamed louder, her body dropping to her knees as the stretching suddenly tore, ripping down the middle within her mind and Voldemort was thereThereRIGHTTHERE in her mind, his laughter triumphant and the sound pulling churning nausea from her stomach and into her throat._

_“LILIANNA POTTER…How weak you are to let me in so easssssily.” She could feel him moving, shifting things that shouldn’t be shifted as she arched off the stone floor, her hands gripping chunks of her hair._

_Only for it to stop as she felt him run across something in her mind, something dark that had always been at the back of her consciousness, something she had become accustomed to ignoring. She could feel him pause as she panted, her body shaking and prepared for the next painful feeling of invasion._

_She shook even harder when she could practically feel long fingers caress her mind, the dark space shivering in pleasure, and her skin broke out in goosebumps as a result._

_“Oh Lilianna…you’ve been keeping something from me…haven’t you?” His voice was practically a croon, and it scared her more than anything else he had ever said to her before._

She woke up on a choked scream after that, her hands gripping the tree limb she had fallen asleep on and attempting to calm her panicked breaths so as to not wake the examiner. Though, with how loud he snored it was no wonder he didn’t hear her when she woke.

No. It did not bode well to have such a dream before the first phase of the Hunter’s exam.

Time flew pass quickly, her mind slinking into a sort of meditative trance as she watched the scenery shift below her. The movements of Taiyo were rhythmic enough that she had to blink away the dryness of her eyes as she became more aware that they were descending into a clearing not too far from a bustling city.

They hopped off the back of the eagle, bowing to him in thanks and stretching their limbs from aches that had developed during the ride.

Akio turned towards her and smiled.

“Alright!” He started walking towards the city and she quickly moved to walk beside him, her shorter legs causing her to have to move faster in order to keep up.

“The exam site will be here in the city. Try to keep up because it can get pretty packed around this time of year. A lot of merchants selling their wares, ya know?” She nodded, pulling her hood down again in order to keep her face concealed and staying observant as they entered the city.

It wasn’t that different than any other city she had been to: tall buildings, restaurants, merchants selling wares on the streets underneath colorful tents, couples walking, and old women bargaining for cheaper prices.

She followed Akio, ignoring the scent of something warm and meaty which caused her stomach to grumble lightly, as he completely bypassed a tall building most would assume belonged to the hunter association, and instead walked into an in-the-wall Ramen shop.

They headed to the cook, a plump man with wrinkles under his eyes and a white chef’s hat.

“Welcome.” He called.

Akio grinned at the man, a hand placed on his hip.

“Is the back room open?”

The chef narrowed his eyes.

“What will you have?”

“The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light. Make it for one.”

“How would you like it?”

“Grilled over a low flame until cooked.”

The chef grinned and went back to turning the cabbage in the skillet.

“Got it. Let yourself into the back room.”

Akio motioned for her to follow him and he steered her into a room with a table and couch like seats.

“Alright. Well this is my send off. I hope you do well, Seeker. It was…really interesting to meet you.” He laughed and raised his hand getting ready to turn.

“Akio.” He looked over his shoulder with a raised brow. “Thanks…and don’t forget to change out that aftershave.”

He blinked before chuckling.

“You have a since of humor under that hood. Good to know.” He closed the door and left her alone.

She sat there for a few minutes, purposely keeping her breathing even like her Master told her before she felt the room beginning to shift. Looking up she noted an electronic box above the door that was showing the floor numbers, quickly concluding that she was in an elevator.

The exam site must have been deep underground because she was in the room for longer then she would have been comfortable with had she not had experience with the Gringott’s vaults. Finally, the room came to a halt, the doors opening into a tunnel like room, the atmosphere feeling cold and damp. She stood and walked out, noting the couple dozen people wandering around before a small hand touched her pants.

She bent down on one knee in order to hear the pea-shaped creature when he handed her a round disk like pin.

“Take this number and be sure to keep it on you at all times.” His green, round face nodded at her before moving somewhere else.

#31.

It was kind of Ironic. It felt as though this number was following her. She pinned the number on the outside of her cape, wrapping the thick fabric tighter around her in order to ward off the chill before walking over near a wall and sliding down, she stretched out one leg and propped up the other, before sliding a hand within her bag and pulling out some dried meat and fruit.

She was early and the wait would be long before anything happened.

 

 

<Flesh of Flowers>  
  


 

She awoke a few hours later, having drifted off with her head on her knee about half an hour into the wait. Looking around she noted that there were a host of new faces walking around.

Quietly observing, she watched as that rounded man, #16-Tonpa, continued drifting about with an innocent face and a sleazy air. He had tried to approach her a few minutes after she had settled, but had quickly scurried away from her when she only responded to him with a glare he couldn’t see, but could clearly feel.

Her eyes stayed glued to him while he spoke to a group of three new faces: a tall, mature looking man, a blond, and a young boy who couldn’t have been older than thirteen. She had listened to the others milling around, listened to their quiet snickers about “Tonpa: The Rookie Crusher”, and frowned.

She could overhear them a bit, listening in as Tonpa vetted out a few others who had been in the exam several times. It was good information, and it was interesting to learn the different types of people who had come out to the exam. There was a wrestler, a snake charmer (though she doubted he was an actual parslemouth), a kungfu master, a huntsman, and many others.

It was amazing to see so many different types of professions. The muggle world was so much bigger than the wizarding world and it showed.

The three rookies were getting ready to drink whatever beverage Tonpa was handing out (it was bad that she couldn’t help comparing his sleazy air to Pettigrew) and, before she could even consider warning them, she watched as the youngest spit out the yellowed liquid, his fellows quickly pouring it out after him.

_‘Hmmm. Looks like the kid has good instincts…or is very very Lucky.’_

She looked at the leather watch on her wrist and got up. It wouldn’t be long now.

Screaming from a bit further to her right drew her attention.

A bald man was on his knees, fear and pain had his lips shaking in agony as he watched his arms slowly disintegrate into red flower petals.

“Oh, how peculiar…” A deep voice came from a man in a jester costume, his red wavy hair jelled up and his pale face sporting a blue tear drop-or was it a rain drop- while the other side had a red star. His arms were folded, and a smirk played along his lips. More than that, however, was the familiar tang of bloodlust that lightly stirred the air.

“…his arms seemed to have become flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here.”

She felt her eyebrows rise to near her hairline.

_‘Well…he’s one kind of dangerous.’_

His eyes focused on the man whose arms had disappeared; his body was bent in on itself and his breathing stuttered in disbelief.

“Do take care. When you bump into someone, you really should apologize.”

 _‘Dully noted.’_ It would not do to cross paths with someone like that. It would be wise of her to keep him far away, yet still in sight. Better the enemy you can see, then the one you can’t.

The sound of an alarm rang loudly in the enclosed space as a wall slowly rose at the far end of the tunnel.

 _‘what a strange looking man.’_ And he was. Strange looking, that is. He was incredibly skinny, with long legs in a dark purple suit and a red ascot. His hair was lavender and flipped outwards like Aunt Marge tried to style her own hair (though she failed epically), his mustache curled, and, most importantly, he had no _visible_ mouth.

It posed quite a few curious questions in her mind. _‘How does he eat? Can he talk?’_

As if to answer her question he began speaking, the movement of his face without lips was a bizarre thing to witness.

“I apologize for the wait. The entry for the hunter applicants has ended. The hunter exam will now begin!” As if a switch turned on, she could practically feel the excited tension in the air.

“A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept those risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you.” No one moved. They obviously believed they had come way too far to turn around now.

“Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in phase one.” And with that he turned around and, literally, began to march further down the tunnel. After a few moments of light walking, the pace began to quicken.

‘ _He did say to follow him. I doubt it would be so simple as a walk in a park, so to speak.’_ Even her mental voice was beginning to sound sarcastic by this stage.

The purple haired man’s voice was loud enough to be heard even in the back.

“I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the phase one examiner. I shall lead you to the exam’s second phase. Phase one has already begun. You must follow me.”

So it was an endurance test.

Lucky for her, she was pretty good at endurance. Her childhood, quidditch training, many Hogwarts adventures, and not to mention her most _recent_ training had upped her endurance far above normal. And even if she needed a break she could always take out _that_. She hadn’t had time to test it out yet, but now was as good a time as any. The examiner did say they only had to follow him. He didn’t specify how.

For now, though, she would run. The only problem she had was with her cloak. It was thick, but spelled to be light and airy when her body heat rose so she wasn’t worried about sweating. It was, however, billowing around her and her hood was threatening to slip off.

She bit her lip and discretely pulled out her wand.

A quick spell had her hood sticking so that her face would stay hidden, and another spell kept the front of her cloak closed. It was a bit inconvenient, but not too much of a problem so she continued on.

Time passed.

And passed.

There seemed to be no end to the tunnel and she realized that it wasn’t just an endurance test, it was a psychological one.

She was beginning to sweat, but her body had long since passed any pain threshold and was just going without much thought, her muscles locked in the memory of constant movement.

She looked to her left and the kid from before was running in pace with her. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes before grinning.

“Hey, I’m Gon.”

She frowned slightly before trusting her instincts. He was innocent enough. Plus, she always did have a weakness for kids.

“You can call me Seeker.”

“Huh? Seeker? Is that your real name?”

“No.”

His lips pulled into a frown and his eyebrows drew down as he eyed the darkness of her hood, his intent gaze looking for something she didn’t quite understand. He must have found it though because his brown eyes turned back towards the front before giving a huffy laugh.

“How old are you?”

She let out a puff of breath.

“You sure ask a lot of questions.”

“And you don’t ask enough.” A smile quirked up at the corner of her mouth. Jeez this kid was the type to get under your skin in a good way.

“I’m 16. I’ll be 17 in a month or so.”

“Wow.” She let an eyebrow rise even though he couldn’t see it.

“You’re pretty short for a 16-year-old.”

Her eyebrow twitched.

 _‘…this kid.’_ The sad thing was he wasn’t lying. She wasn’t more than a bit over half-a-foot taller than him.

Her hand came up and smacked him in the back of the head before she could think about it. She paused a moment, startled at her own actions and just how quick this kid had become familiar to her, before continuing on as if it was normal, though the happy smile on Gon’s face proved she didn’t fool him.

“…I’m not that short.”

“Yes you are.”

“Gon…if you want to live long enough to be taller than me, then shut up.” He laughed at her and didn’t bring it up again, instead asking her random questions that she didn’t mind answering.

 

“…you don’t like tomatoes?”

“No. Fruits are supposed to be sweet. Tomatoes are like the stupid uncle who can’t decide if they want to come home for the holidays. So no. I don’t like tomatoes.”

 

“…yeah, I’ve lived in the mountains all my life. I almost died because of some of the animals that live in the forest, but they’re all my friends now. My Aunt Mito would always say, ‘bought sense is better than no sense’ every time I’d come back home hurt.”

“Kid, it sounds like you bought a lot of sense.”

 

They were still talking when the tall man from Gon’s group began yelling at a silver haired kid on a skateboard.

“HEY! WAIT UP KID!”

The kid looked at him with a face more bored than double classes of History of Magic.

“You should show the hunter exam some respect!”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you using a skateboard? That’s cheating!”

“Why?”

“THIS IS AN ENDURANCE TEST!”

“No its not.” Gon’s voice broke in from beside her.

“Huh? What are you saying!?” She sighed. If the man wasn’t careful he’d use up all his energy being frustrated.

“The examiner only told us to follow him.” She conceded that Gon did have a point and it was one she had already noted. The test wasn’t just an endurance test or a psychological test, it was a test of adaptability.

“Whose side are you on?” The man’s question went unanswered as the silver haired boy rolled back to ride next to Gon.

“Hey, how old are you?”

“I’m 12.”

They must have been the same age because the boy flipped his skateboard up and began running next to them.

“Guess I’ll run too.”

“Wow that was so cool.”

“My names Killua.”

“I’m Gon and this is Seeker.” The now known Killua leant forward and peered around Gon at her.

“Seeker? Is that your real name?”

She didn’t exactly get the same innocent vibe as with Gon, but he was still a kid so…

“No.” Killua quirked an eyebrow, looked at Gon and then back at her.

“Don’t feel too bad. Seeker is shy and doesn’t talk all that much.” She swallowed a snort. _Shy…?_ Killua just shrugged his shoulders before looking back at her.

“…bit of a wierdo if you asked me…” … _what a brat…_ She had to take a deep breath before her temper got to her.

“Naw, Seeker isn’t weird, they’re just hiding.” And wasn’t that the strangest, yet most accurate thing she’d heard from the kid so far. Bless him. Killua just shrugged.

“Are you a boy or a girl? I can’t tell under that cloak.”

“Why? You wanna take me on a date?” Well…that slipped out before she could think about it. _…I can already tell this kid is going to spend most of his time trying to piss me off. And succeeding too._

Though she did enjoy the sputtering and spreading blush on the silver haired brat. Felt like well-earned victory.

She stopped in her tracks when Gon paused and looked behind him, Killua stopping as well with his eyes on Gon. The tall man (she really needed to learn his name) had fallen behind, his briefcase fallen to the ground and his hands braced on his knees as he panted like a dehydrated dog in the sun.

He looked to be debating with himself and she found that she was a bit curious about his thoughts.

She could hear Killua scoff beside her, though she ignored him like Gon and continued to focus on the man.

“Screw That! I’m gonna become a hunter! Damn it All!!!” Her eyes widened as the man all but sprinted past her, her cloak billowing in the breeze.

“…whoa.” She was a bit impressed.

Gon whipped out his fishing rod and flicked it towards the briefcase, the hook catching the handle and reeling it in.

“Cool!” Killua seemed to be more impressed with Gon’s fishing skills, quickly requesting to try it out later, and an agreement was reached when Gon requested to try his skateboard. She chuckled internally. Kids.

By this point in time they had reached a long set of towering stairs. Gon and Killua had decided to race so she motioned for them to go on ahead without her. The examiner had increased his pace, but she would keep herself steady. There was no guarantee that when they came out of this tunnel that that would be the end of this exam. If anything, she had learned to expect the unexpected. It was important to conserve her energy.

This was just the beginning after all.

Instead she chose to cast a lightening spell on herself, it made it feel as though she was weightless, her slender legs leaping over stairs two at a time and moving around the fallen who just couldn’t take one more step.

Finally, she could literally see light at the end of the tunnel. She crossed over onto a stone platform, the light so bright she had to blink for a minute to adjust. When she was finally able to see she realized her hunch was most likely right. This wasn’t the end of the first exam, more like a midway point. All around her was mist and the smell of wetland, a moist and earthy scent that was heavy with animal.

“The Numere Wetlands, also known as swindlers swamp.” Began the proctor, “We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, and insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you…you are dead.”

The sound of a door closing behind them made her turn around, noting the door to the tunnel was coming down and any stragglers were being left behind.

“These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food by deceit…hence the name swindler’s swamp. Stay very close to me so you won’t be deceived.”

“Don’t fall for it!” Everyone turned to a shadowy figure hanging behind a corner. He moved into the light to reveal himself to be a beaten up man. “Don’t fall for it…He’s lying to you. He’s an imposter. He isn’t an examiner…I’m the real examiner.” She sighed to herself. This was obvious a trick. If the man wasn’t so beaten up, she might have believed him. To believe that a proctor for the hunter exam was weak enough to be tricked by an animal and then that animal have the intelligence enough to lead them through the tunnel and inform them of the swamp was really borderline foolish.

She listened as some of those around began to doubt and question who was who and realized she _was_ surrounded by fools. She considered speaking up but was beaten to it. Three playing cards flew at the proctor and the imposter, the one who had been leading them caught each one while the deceiver died.

Shuffling sounds drew their attention to the man dressed as a jester, cards moving between his hands quickly.

“I see, I see…,” His smile was quite satisfied, “that settles it…you’re the real one. Examiners are hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack.”

“I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner, and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?”

“Sure.”

_‘yep…I need to stay away from that guy. Something tells me it wouldn’t be a good thing for me to catch his attention.’_

The proctor began moving amongst them, his explanation continuing.

“He was attempting to lure applicants away.” He was referencing the dead deceiver who was currently being devoured by vultures. “You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?”

The ninja and the tall dude from before scratched their head in embarrassment.

“Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere wetland fog you will never reach the second phase. Do bear that in mind. Then let us be on our way.”

With that they began running again. She kept the lightening charm and added an anti-slip charm on her feet in order to keep her footing. It wasn’t too long before Killua and Gon found their way back to her side.

They had already lost several people to tricks when Killua spoke up.

“Gon. Let’s move up.” That’s when she felt it. Bloodlust. It was moving thickly in the air and she didn’t need to look behind her to know who it was coming from. Without thinking her hands reached out beside her and grabbed both boy’s wrist before practically leaping further ahead. As she dragged them Gon yelled out behind her.

“Leorio! Kuripika! Killua says we should move up.” And though it was good to finally have a name for the tall dude, and consequently the blond, she really wished the boy had more situational awareness.

“If I had the strength I’d already be there!”

“Don’t worry about us”

The boys and her were already near the front, running closely behind the proctor by the time she felt it alright to release their wrists.

Gon and Killua glanced at each other before shrugging their shoulders and falling back in step beside her. Though she was curious at the slight frown of confusion that settled on Killua’s face.

They stayed close to each other after that, the fog becoming thicker and the proctor becoming impossible to see.

“I can hear screaming all around us.” Gon’s voice was slightly anxious.

“Just stay on your guard.” It comparison, Killua was calm and focused. It seemed as though the exam was finally becoming a bit more interesting to him.

“Stay close to each other boys. It’s easier to fight an unknown with an ally then on your own.” Killua snorted.

“Where’d you get that? A history book?”

“I’m beginning to think you’re wanting to really date me with all the flirting you’re doing.” It slipped -again- before she could swallow it back down. The brat’s choked sounds were glorious. Served him right. She didn’t think she could or would ever find someone who could get under her skin worse than Draco Malfoy, but here he was: younger than her, a brat and full of sarcasm.

“SSSHUT-UP!” She lightly snickered while Gon laughed.

“No. I got that quote from my master.”

“What kind of idiot would tea-!” Before he could finish that incriminating statement and before she could retaliate the ground was removed from beneath them.

“WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

It took about five seconds before she accepted the reality of their situation.

Yes. They had been eaten. Completely swallowed. Devoured in one gulp. She could feel the giant…whatever it was…moving, its big body lumbering and shaking them in its stomach. It was too dark to know what was up or down, and she didn’t have time to really call for Killua or Gon before the thing was vomiting them out.

They hit the ground with a wet smack, gross sludge-like fluid clung to their bodies. She wanted to vomit. Badly. But she swallowed it back down and took a deep breath.

She was satisfied to note that both boys were alright.

“Guess he didn’t like the taste of us.” Killua pulled out an orange, familiar can.

“It was this.”

“That was from Tonpa-san.” _Guess the muggle version of Wormtail is good for something._ Even her thoughts sounded full of contempt.

“Guess he saved us.”

“Yeah, well, I could have escaped.” She rolled her eyes, getting up and wringing what she could of her cloak out.

“I’m still worried about Leorio and Kuripika.”

“Forget about them. Let’s get a move on. We can still catch up to the proctor.” Killua ran off and she quickly followed, not realizing that Gon had paused behind them.

They ran through the fog until they broke through the tree line. The proctor and a line of runners were moving like shadows in the mist ahead.

“Cool…we’ve caught up to the main group, Gon. Seeker.” She hummed but when there was no sound from Gon, she looked behind her and felt her heart leap into her throat. She swallowed the weight there. She hadn’t known Gon for long, but he already meant something to her and he was just a kid.

She’d have to go look for him.

“I’ll be back.” A small hand gripped her cloak and held her back.

“Wait. Gon is smart. He’ll find his way back. Don’t you go getting lost too.” She smiled. It was cute seeing him trying to hide his concern. She lifted her hand and to both of their surprise, ruffled his hair. He frowned but didn’t remove it.

“I’m not the type to leave anyone behind. The line is up ahead. Go catch up and we’ll me you at the second exam phase.” His hand didn’t let go.

“Trust me, Killua.” Blinking, he looked as though he wanted to scoff at such an absurd statement, but he did let go. She smiled at him, even though he didn’t see it, and walked back into the tree line.

She had smiled more in the last couple of hours then she had in a long while. It was, indeed, very surprising, but she was grateful. She’d try not to shy away from those who made her smile and had nothing to do with what she was running from. It helped that they were still kids and, therefore, were decidedly less likely to have any ulterior motives towards her. It made her want to protect that.

So here she was. Back tracking through misty woods to find a loss mountain boy. She wasn’t too unnerved walking through the forest. She was familiar with the forbidden forest after all and that had bigger dangers in it than this one, though the comparison was really close. What did unnerve her though was the thick heaviness in the air, the taste of it familiar since she felt it earlier. Bloodlust. More specifically; That Jester’s Bloodlust.

That wasn’t good. She didn’t exactly want to run into him. In fact, she felt it was important that she stayed as far away from him as she could. She didn’t need any triggers to her own sickness, after all.

But her luck hadn’t changed. It was still the kind that if anything could go wrong, it would.

She came across the clearing to see the Jester holding Gon by the throat, the young boy clearly struggling for air while his feet dangled. His hands gripped the forearm holding him up, trying uselessly to pull himself free. His struggles were beginning to still when a familiar feeling began pooling in her stomach, the sensation so quick it nearly made her light headed.

It was sweet and decadent. Heavy and bitter. It swirled within her, narrowing her eyesight, loosening her throat, and stirring in her stomach hot, yet icy. A wandless slicing hex was flying from her hand without thought and she was behind Gon, catching him as he fell when the Jester loosened his grip.

Said man had moved out of the way before she could do more damage than leave a long, bleeding line down his cheek.

She watched as the blood dripped down his chin and followed the line of his neck. His golden eyes were narrowed, piercing as he studied her. She could feel Gon shaking as he leaned against her, her hand gripping his shoulder as much to hold him up as to hold her back. The air had become even thicker.

Her bloodlust was mixing with his.

She watched as he shivered, an excited gleam appearing in his gaze and she suddenly understood why her instincts wanted her to stay out of this man’s sights.

This man was the type to rile up a lion just to defeat it at its angriest, he was the type to stoke a dying fire into a roaring blaze just to see if it would burn him, and he was the type of man you never wanted to be interested in you.

Dangerous didn’t begin to cover him.

He began walking towards her, his hand lifted to touch her. She didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Acknowledging that he was dangerous didn’t mean that she was afraid of him. She had been hunted by dangerous people since she was born, it would take a lot more than this to make her afraid. Besides, the thick sweetness was still swirling in her stomach.

If he made a wrong twitch, if his intentions moved even the slightest, she’d kill him where he stood.

He knew that and it only excited him more. His hand lifted and reached beneath her hood, flinging the fabric back to reveal her face and her tumbling hair. Dark red, almost black loose curls draped around an aristocratic face. High cheekbones, petite nose, and eyes of narrowed emerald gazed back at gold. Unflinching. Unwavering.

Something flashed quickly in his eyes and she pretended that she didn’t see it, though her hand did grip Gon’s shoulder tighter.   

“Wonderful…I really do love that look.” Hands moved to lightly cup her face. “It looks like I found a wild cat amongst the mice. How delightful.” A beeping sound drew his attention and he pulled out what looked to be a walkie talkie.

‘…Hisoka, you should get back here. We’re almost at the exam site.”

“Okay. I’ll be right there.”

Releasing her face reluctantly he bent down until he came to eye level with Gon. A grin, one that could almost be perceived as genuinely joyful stretched his face.

“Do not fear. I will not kill your friend.” It was just then she realized that rasping sound she was hearing was from a shirtless Leorio who was sprawled out on the grass behind them. “He passed. Yes. You passed as well. Grow up and become a fine hunter.” With a smile still on his face he stood and turned back to her.

“And you certainly passed.” He reached towards her again and pulled her hood back on. “Be sure to keep this on, okay kitten.” His words sounded too much like a threat for her to become irritated by the pet name. For now, anyway.

He walked over and picked up Leorio, throwing the tall man over his shoulders like a sack of flour.

“It’s always good to have friends.” Smirking he looked towards her. “You can find your own way back, yes?”

She didn’t bother to respond but felt Gon nod. “Good boy.” Before he turned and disappeared into the mist.

For a few brief moments time slowed back down, her adrenaline calmed, and the sweetness in her stomach settled into nothing. The air was cool and light again, the moistness nothing more than the water it was supposed to be. Gon’s shuddering breath was calming as well as he gripped her cloaked in order to find stability. She didn’t mind, she was using him for the same thing.

“GON!” A voice cried out from behind them. “Are you alright?”

Looking over her shoulder (and pass the dead bodies she hadn’t bothered to notice before), she watched as the blond boy from before, Kurapika, came running towards them.

He was closest in age to herself, standing about half-a-foot taller than her with blond hair that reached his shoulders and grey eyes. He was quite handsome, if not a bit girly looking.

Still slightly shaking, Gon moved from completely leaning against her.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Kurapika looked relieved before looking her over.

“Are you alright?” She appreciated the sentiment and nodded a yes.

“What’s your name?”

“You can call me seeker.”

“Seeker…?” It was obviously a question, that she didn’t really feel like answering. Again. Perhaps it would have been better to have just made up a random name. Seeker was a nickname that her quidditch team called her and it stuck, being one of the few things she had ever been called that she didn’t mind answering to.

“We better get going if we don’t want to be disqualified.” She responded instead.

He nodded, obviously understanding that she didn’t want to talk about this now, nor was it the time to.

They began running in the same direction that Hisoka had left in, Gon’s nose (and wasn’t it bizarre to realize that this kid’s sense of smell could rival wild animals) leading the way.

“So Hisoka took Leorio?” She had fallen into running beside Kurapika as they followed Gon, his fishing pole swinging behind him and Leorio’s briefcase hanging at the end.

“Yeah. Leorio’s cologne is strong and distinct enough that it’s not hard to follow him.”

“Kurapika. Seeker. …What did Hisoka mean when he said that we passed?” Kurapika chose to respond.

“Hisoka was acting as a judge.”

“A judge?”

“Yes. He must have his own benchmarks for evaluating power. It’s possible that he was ascertaining each applicant’s strength. Apparently, you, Leorio, and Seeker must have met his standards.”

“I see. But I was powerless to do anything against him.”

“But you still tried to fight him, regardless. You did not runaway. You did not let your fear make you unmovable. Hisoka saw this. He was not just judging what you are, he was evaluating what you could be. He saw that you could be a strong Hunter one day. Take it as a compliment, Gon.” Her voice was calm and sure as she told him this, knowing that what she said was true. She had gotten a short read on the Jester, and her instincts very rarely failed her.

Gon looked surprised at her response and Kurapika nodded in agreement with her.

“Didn’t you land your first hit on him?” He asked, looking back to Gon.

“Only because I surprised him. Leorio passed even though he lost…And seeker got a hit on him at first…then there was a bit of a stalemate that I didn’t understand.” Kurapika looked towards her again with a raised eyebrow and a gaze full of curiosity.

“He sensed my own bloodlust. He knew that if he made even one false move against you or Leorio or myself, I would have killed him. Or at least attempted to. And he knew his fight with me would have been different then with yours Gon. Had he not gotten that call when he did, I’m definitely not saying I would have won, but he would have most likely taken me as a challenge and killed all of us.”

Kurapika’s gaze stayed on her, though the curiosity hadn’t lessoned, it was now coupled with a bit of caution and suspicion. Both unwarranted, but she didn’t particularly care what he thought about her.

“Perhaps he sensed that you were kindred spirits.” Kurapika edged, his face turning back to the front though she knew his guard was up around her.

“Kindred spirits?”

“I sincerely doubt that Hisoka could qualify as a Hunter. But I will admit that he did impress me with his superhuman agility and graceful technique. It’s quite common that those possessing special talents are drawn to others with unique gifts. Most likely, Hisoka’s instincts and experience told him that you had the skill and potential to become hunters. Killing you now would have been a waste… That was his perspective.”

She…could agree with that.

“I was excited.” Gon cut into her thoughts. “I was so scared I wanted to run away. But I couldn’t. And at the same time, I was excited. Isn’t that strange?”

It really wasn’t. She had felt that way every time she faced down an enemy. Part of her wanted to take the easy way out, hide and let the danger pass. But then she would push passed it and the thrill of facing down an opponent would fill her. It was never something she talked about with anyone, it being a hidden truth of herself that she chose to never speak out loud.

So yeah, she could understand. _Sometimes, the truth is, you feel most alive when you’re facing down something or someone who wants to take that away._  She huffed a laugh at herself. _Then again, maybe I’m just an adrenaline junkie._

They broke through the tree line, finally reaching the closed gates of Phase two of the exam. Everyone was milling around, this particular area being clear of mist and actually looking rather pleasant. Gon caught sight of Leorio leaning up against a tree and rushed over towards him, she followed at a more leisurely pace.

She walked up just in time to hear that the man had no real memory of what happened, his face swollen and painfully red.

Debating with herself and coming to a decision, she reached into the small pack at her waist and pulled out a jar of medicinal cream. She had a couple of jars of this stuff made just in case she ever needed them, but it wouldn’t be too bad to use a bit of it to heal the man.

She bent down on her knees, opening the jar, and gently placing a dollop of the pink cream on the man’s cheeks. Her hands were gentle as they rubbed it in. She watched with satisfaction as the redness disappeared and the swollen blood vessels loosened, the lump going down right before their eyes.

Leorio placed his hand on his cheek and rubbed down towards his jaw, clearly amazed that the pain and swelling had gone away so quickly. All three of them looked at her with eyes practically vibrating with questions.

“That’s so cool!” Gon, ever the sweetheart, looked up at her in amazement as she stood. Her hands ruffled his hair, before noting the time and looking back down at Leorio.

“You should get ready. The second phase is about to start.”

“Gon. Seeker.”

“Killua!”

“Brat.” The silver haired boy stumbled slightly, a tick mark showing up on his forehead, but he chose to ignore her and talk to Gon instead.

“I can’t believe you actually got here, I thought you were done for.”

“I just tracked Leorio’s cologne.”

“Cologne? That way? You really are weird.”

“Good Job Everyone!” Satotz called out over the chatter. “This is where phase two of the exam will take place. I will now take my leave.” With that he marched back into the forest, long legs moving robotically into the mist.

With that the gates of the next phase opened.


End file.
